Friday, March 23, 2012

apkujung restaurant



sharing is caring. if you are in a mood for hot pot sharing, you have come to the right place. one of my favourite korean dishes is samgyetang, whole chicken soup with ginseng and herbs. many koreans enjoy this hot soup during the hot summer to replace the nutrients lost through excessive sweating. Apkujung Restaurant located across from the centerpoint mall serves the best three course ginseng chicken soup toronto has to offer.



in average size dining hall, they have semi-private booths for a party of 4. it is little tacky to have soju ads plastered all over the place but it is neat and clean. there was no music playing when we went which some may find it a little odd.



as usual, side dishes welcomed us before our meal. korean restaurants serve complimentary side dishes to accompany your meal. apkujung offered stir-fried zuccini, stir-fried fish cake, seaweed salad, potato in soy sauce, kimchi and pan-fried tofu in soy sauce. they were yummy, the kimchi was fresh and crisp! a little disappointment to the lack of radish kimchi though.



the three purples and two special guests, ordered the chicken + noodle and congee for 3 people ($35). trust me. even though it was for three, we were quite full by the end of the meal. the portions are very very generous here.



first, the chicken. it is cooked for you on the table by a friendly wait staff. it came in a huge metal pot filled with whole chicken, ginseng, dates, green onions and yummy chicken broth made with variety of herbs. though it is not medicinal, it is believed to help you regain your stamina.



second, the noodles. the green noodle is made with mugwort. the broth is seasoned to give much deeper flavour at this stage. you can hardly taste the bitterness of the mugwort. i think they make their noodles fresh onsite. the noodles are chewy as freshly made noodles should be.





the last course is the congee. the chicken broth has gotten thicker and deeper in flavour by now and adding rice only makes it better. the wait staff came by the table occasionally to check on the dish to cook and distribute. hot pot makes dining experience more enjoyable, in my opinion. this tasteful dish filled my tummy with happiness and makes you feel good as any healthy meal would.



they have a special spicy sauce that goes very well with the chicken. at first i didn't like the taste but now i am addicted to it (want to steal the recipe!). i believe it is made with hot pepper and mustard but i am sure there are many other ingredients to it than that. looking at streetview, i realized they do not have english title on their front sign (or it is incredibly small). i would definitely come here again and try other dishes. it has become one of my favourite korean restaurants in town!


압구정 닭한마리 + 칼국수
Apkujung Restaurant
6309 Yonge St
North York
416.229.6248

posted by rin

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